How to Travel as a Couple and Still Love Each Other Afterwards

Posted on February 1, 2017

How to travel as a couple; it’s a question we’re constantly asked! We’ve been travelling as a couple long term, living in each other’s pockets 24/7 and so far we haven’t killed each other. Sure, we’ve had the odd fight here or there, usually as a result of no sleep or blogging pressures (it’s tough you know!), but nothing serious enough to question our relationship. Yay for us!

If you’re keen to hit the travel path with your significant other but don’t want to end up on the relationship scrap heap, you’ll want to read this!

HOW TO TRAVEL AS A COUPLE

HAVE COMMON GOALS

This should be pretty simple right? Well, sometimes it isn’t. Everyone is different, and so are your goals when travelling. Visiting the historic sights or going shopping? Eating street food or at a restaurant? Take a walk or the bus? You get the drift.

Before travelling as a couple, sit down and discuss where you want to go, what you want to do and then agree on what you want to achieve out of the trip. If you need to, compromise. That way, there won’t be any fights and you’ll both get what you want! Happy days.

GIVE EACH OTHER SPACE, WHEN NEEDED

The best thing about travelling the world as a couple is that you get to enjoy all the amazing experiences with your best friend. And being with each other 24/7 is great, most of the time.

There WILL come a time where one of you needs space and time out away from the other person. It’s natural and totally fine; let your partner be and give them time to become them again.

If this happens to you, plug in your headphones, concentrate on the book or podcast you’re interested in or go for a long walk. Before long, you’ll be back loving each others company again!

COMPROMISE

We mentioned before that compromise is needed when setting travel goals. It’s essential when planning but it’s also necessary when you travel as a couple.

We’re really lucky that we generally like the same things. A day at a museum or a hike in the mountains excites us both. If we do ever encounter something that one of us wants to see but the other doesn’t, we’ll see both. Compromise, get over it and enjoy the experience, even if it isn’t your jam!

MAKE TIME FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIP

If you’re like us and travelling for a long time, you’ll probably be staying in dorm rooms to keep costs down. And that means no alone time! So if your funds allow, book a double room (or even an AirBnB – use our discount for $30 off your booking!) for a night every now and then and spend some time one on one. Your relationship will thank you later.

Being on the road doesn’t mean you should miss out on ‘date night’ either. Recently in Yangon we decided to hit the cinemas for our date night. While it wasn’t the same experience as back home, it was great to spend some time with each other outside of exploring the city streets or sitting on a bus!

GET COMFORTABLE

If you’ve lived together before, you’ll probably understand. If you haven’t, you might be in for a rude shock. We all poop and fart and burp. SHOCK!

Travel as a couple and you’ll soon need to get comfortable with each other and the little intricacies that make you, you. Even if you’re realllly comfortable with each other, a serious bout of gastro for each of you after eating street food in Luang Prabang is an eye opener (don’t ask.. You can read about that one here!).

You can’t do anything but laugh about it when it’s all over.

LOOK AFTER ON ANOTHER

Looking after one another while travelling as a couple isn’t as simple as asking “how are you?” each morning. It requires looking out for each other at every moment of every day.

Crossing a road in SE Asia? Don’t run off, cross together! Catching a train in India? Stick REAL close! Taxi ride in Johannesburg? Join each other in the backseat.

We also recommend looking after each other mentally and physically. Suggest a hike, a gym session or a run to get the body fit and healthy (preferably do this often!). Get the mind up to speed by reading, playing cards or having deep philosophical discussions about… anything!

DEAL WITH IT

Travel throws up heaps of challenges and it is up to the both of you to roll with the punches and deal with it. Easier said than done.

No one likes a whinger, least of all when you’re going through the same thing together. And that goes for any and everything, be it a missed flight or bus, a scam at the border or being lost in 30 degree heat with backpacks on!

If you do happen to fight during your travels, the most important thing is to talk about it as quickly as possible. That way, you can get the issue out in the open, discuss it, come to a resolution, get over it and move on quickly.

HAVE FUN

Okay, this probably should be at the top because we feel it’s the most important aspect of travel to remember.

You’re on the trip of a lifetime so have fun and enjoy every moment of it! You never get these moments again.

Follow these tips and we’ll guarantee this won’t be the last time you travel as a couple. Any tips you guys have? Let us know in the comments below.

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We're Mark & Miranda, aka The Common Wanderer, an Aussie couple with a love of travel, adventure, writing and photography. We inspire and empower our readers to seek out the less explored corners of the earth through in-depth stories, travel tips, photography and wanderlust. Follow our journey through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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1 Comment

Renee Hahnel

January 15, 2017 at 2:39 am

Yes! I love this! My husband and I have been on some really long trips together and it is always a challenge to keep the relationship healthy and thriving. These tips are pretty much exactly what we try to do 🙂